universiti putra malaysia · dua ujian berskala loji pandu dilakukan di kilang perusahaan kompos....

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

YEOH CHUI YEN

FK 2010 58

COMPOSTING OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES BY MICROBIAL INOCULAR

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1 COMPOSTING OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES BY

MICROBIAL INOCULAR

YEOH CHUI YEN

MASTER OF SCIENCE

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

2010

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COMPOSTING OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES BY MICROBIAL

INOCULAR

By

YEOH CHUI YEN

Thesis Submitted to the School Of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia,

in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master Science

September 2010

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Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia in fulfilment

of the requirement for the degree of Master Science

COMPOSTING OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES BY MICROBIAL

INOCULAR

By

YEOH CHUI YEN

September 2010

Chair: Ir. Chin Nyuk Ling, PhD

Faculty: Engineering

The increment of palm oil production increases its by-product wastes such as the

empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm oil mill effluent (POME). To recycle the wastes,

large-scale windrow composting system is established. However, the duration of

compost production from two months to one-year is not compatible to the daily

output of the palm oil mill wastes. Thus, accelerating of EFB composting by using

inoculums, urea and a smaller substrate size were investigated. Parameters such as

moisture content, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity and turning frequency

were used to monitor the composting process of EFB and POME. The carbon-

nitrogen ratio, UV-vis spectrophotometer test, microorganisms enumeration and

germination test were used to assess the maturity of compost.

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Two pilot scale tests were conducted in an industrial compost plant. The first pilot

scale test aims to verify the effectiveness of inoculums and urea addition in 30 tonne

of EFB compost piles. Four heaps of EFB with different treatments i.e. addition of

0.03%, 0.3% of commercial inocular, 200 kg urea, and control without any additives

were investigated. The result disclosed that the 0.03% of inocular had positively

affected the composting performance by decreasing the C/N ratio to 15.04 compared

to the control, which had the final C/N of 21.39. The EFB heap with addition of urea

also had its C/N decreased to 15.62, thus urea may be a second option for

accelerating the composting process.

In the second pilot scale trial, four heaps of composts were used. Daily turning was

done on a heap containing commercial inocular, a heap added with laboratory

inocular consisting 15 types of functional microbes and the control heap. Another

heap with the laboratory inocular was scheduled turning once in every two days. This

trial revealed that the moisture loss and degradation rate were not significantly

different between composts with different turning frequencies. With similar

decreasing rate of the C/N ratio and microbes population, the laboratory and

commercial inoculars were found similar in assisting composting. Both the inoculars

have an enhancing effect on the EFB composting as the C/N of both inoculated

composts dropped below 20 at 14 days earlier than control.

In the third trial, three composts of 20 kg of EFB each were evaluated for the time

efficiency of laboratory inocular in smaller particle size of substrate. Composts with

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4 cm and 2 cm particle sizes of EFB were inoculated, and a control with 4 cm fibres

was without inocular. The C/N of inoculated composts with 2 cm fibres dropped to

18.31, whereas the control was 20.65. The UV-vis ratio of the 2 cm fibre became

constant earlier than the control by at least 3 weeks. Observations on the germination

test and microbe enumeration suggested that 2 cm inoculated compost matured

earlier, i.e. in 35 days compared to the 4 cm fibre at 49 days and the control not

mature even at 60 days. In conclusion, the laboratory inoculars can be useful in

speeding up the composting process of EFB, particularly for those with smaller

substrate sizes. (499)

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Abstrak tesis yang dikemukakan kepada Senat Universiti Putra Malaysia sebagai

memenuhi keperluan untuk ijazah Master Sains

PROSES KOMPOS TANDAN BUAH KELAPA SAWIT DENGAN

PENAMBAHAN MICROB

Oleh

YEOH CHUI YEN

September 2010

Pengerusi: Ir. Chin Nyuk Ling,PhD

Fakulti: Kejuruteraan

Minyak kelapa sawit merupakan komoditi pertanian yang utama di Malaysia.

Peningkatan hasil minyak kelapa sawit menyebabkan pertambahan bahan

buangannya seperti tandan buah kosong (EFB) dan air sisa kilang kelapa sawit

(POME). Untuk mengitar semula bahan buangan itu, sistem kompos yang berskala

besar telah dibina. Walaubagaimanapun, tempoh masa untuk menghasilkan baja

kompos antara dua bulan hingga setahun tidak sesuai dengan bahan buangan yang

dihasilkan setiap hari. Oleh itu, keupayaan mempercepatkan proses kompos EFB

dengan menggunakan inokulam, urea dan bahan yang bersaiz kecil telah diuji.

Parameter seperti kandungan air, suhu, pH, pengaliran elektik and kekerapan

pusingan digunakan untuk memantau proses kompos EFB. Nisbah karbon kepada

nitrogen, UV-vis ujian spektrometer, pengiraan mikroorganisma dan ujian

percambahan telah diguna untuk menentukan kematangan kompos.

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Dua ujian berskala loji pandu dilakukan di kilang perusahaan kompos. Skala loji

pandu yang pertama bertujuan memastikan keberkesanan penambahan inokulam dan

urea ke dalam 30 tonne timbunan kompos EFB. Empat longgok EFB dengan rawatan

yang berlainan i.e penambahan 0.03%, 0.3% inokulum komersial, 200 kg urea, dan

kawalan yang tanpa bahan tambahan. Keputusan menunjukan bahawa penambahan

0.03% inokulum mempunyai kesan yang positif ke atas prestasi proses kompos

dengan menurunnya nisbah C/N kepada 15.04 berbanding dengan kawalan yang

mempunyai nisbah C/N terakhir 21.39. Longgokan EFB yang ditambah urea juga

mempunyai C/N yang berkurang kepada 15.62, maka urea mungkin dijadikan pilihan

kedua untuk mempercepatkan proses kompos.

Semasa menjalankan ujian kedua yang berskala loji pandu, empat longgok kompos

digunakan. Longgohan yang dipusing setiap hari adalah longgohan yang

mengandungi inokulam komersil, longgokan dengan pertambahan inokulam makmal

yang mengandungi 15 jenis mikrob yang berfungsi dan longgokan kawalan.

Longgokan yang lagi satu yang mengandungi inokulam makmal dijadualkan untuk

dipusingkan sekali dalam setiap dua hari. Ujian ini menunjukan bahawa tiada

perbezaan bagi kehilangan air dan kadar reput antara kompos yang mempunyai

kekerapan pusingan yang berlainan adalah tiada perbezaan. Dengan kesamaan kadar

penurunan nisbah C/N dan populasi mikrob, inokulam makmal dan inokulam

komersil didapati sama dalam membantu proses kompos. Kedua-dua inokulam

mempunyai kesan mempercepatkan proses kompos EFB kerana C/N bagi kedua-dua

kompos berinokulasi berkurang sehingga bawah 20 dalam 14 hari lebih awal

daripada kawalan.

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Dalam ujian ketiga, tiga kompos yang terdiri dari 20 kg EFB setiap satu telah dikaji

keberkesanan masa untuk inokulam makmal dalam saiz bahan yang lebih kecil.

Kompos dengan saiz EFBnya 4 cm dan 2 cm ditambah dengan inokulam, dan

kawalan yang mempunyai saiz serabut 4 cm adalah tanpa inokulam. C/N bagi

kompos berinokulasi dengan saiz serabutnya 2 cm bekurang kepada 18.31, manakala

kawalan mempunyai C/N 20.65. Nisbah UV-vis bagi kompos yang mempunyai saiz

serabut 2 cm menjadi tetap lebih awal daripada kawalan sekurang-kurangnya 21 hari.

Pemerhatian ke atas ujian percambahan dan pengiraan mikrob mencadangkan

bahawa kompos berinokulasi yang bersaiz 2 cm matang lebih awal, i.e, dalam 35 hari

berbanding dengan kompos yang mempunyai saiz serabut 4 cm pada 49 dari dan

kawalan pada 60 hari. Kesimpulannya, inokulam makmal boleh digunakan untuk

mempercepatkan proses kompos EFB, terutamanya bagi bahan yang bersaiz lebih

kecil. (485)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Throughout the project, I was fortunate to have the support and expertise of the

project supervisors, course-mates, UPM staff, family and friends. It meant a great

deal to me. It was also indispensable in allowing me to create this resource for

understanding the challenges of composting palm oil wastes. The supervisors

contributed insight and knowledge from their own fields, consulted on highly

specialized part of research, provided laboratory space, reviewed drafts, and earned

my deep gratitude. Members included Ir. Dr. Chin Nyuk Ling, Dr. Farah Saleena

Taip and Dr. Ing. Mohd Noriznan Mokhtar. It all started with Ir. Jason Ooi and Dr.

Tan Chong Seng, who brought us together in the field of composting research. They

provided useful materials for this research. They also offered thoughtful reviews of

the proposal and the manuscript. Thank you to Graduate School of UPM, for being

involved in organizing the research supplemental courses that assure the

postgraduates worked to the effective technical research skills. Library of Universiti

Putra Malaysia provided rigorous international databases, scientific publication on

many facets of composting research. The knowledgeable staff of UPM provided

training that led to greater clarity of particular experiment. I thank my family and

friends for their supports and patience. My friends Sam Foo, Cindy Yeap and Christy

Wong had contributed to grammar correction of thesis. As this project is a

combination of composting researches synthesis and my experimental efforts, I

benefited greatly from the commitment of many scientists I have not met. I

developed a renewed and deeper appreciation for the challenges involve in

developing the issue topic.

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I certify that an Examination Committee has met on 23rd September 2010 to conduct

the final examination of YEOH CHUI YEN on her thesis entitled “Composting of

Empty Fruit Bunches by Microbial Inicular” in accordance with the Universities and

University College Act 1971 and the Constitution of the Universiti Putra Malaysia

[P.U.(A) 106] 15 March 1998. The committee recommends that the student be

awarded the Master of Science.

Members of the Examination Committee were as follows:

Johari bin Endan, PhD

Associate Professor

Faculty of Engineering

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Chairman)

Ling Tau Chuan, PhD

Associate Professor



(Internal Examiner)

Mohd Nordin bin Ibrahim, PhD

Associate Professor



(Internal Examiner)

Mashitah Mat Don, PhD

Associate Professor

Pusat Pengajian Kejuruteraan Kimia

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang.

(External Examiner)

___________________________

SHAMSUDDIN SULAIMAN, PhD

Professor and Deputy Dean

School of Graduate Studies


Date: 23 December 2010

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This thesis was submitted to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia and has been

accepted as fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master Science.

The members of the supervisory Committee were as follows:

Ir. Chin Nyuk Ling, PhD

Associate Professor



Farah Saleena Taip, PhD

Lecturer



-Ing Mohd Noriznan Mokhtar, PhD

Lecturer



______________________________

HASANAH MOHD GHAZALI, PhD

Professor and Dean

School of Graduate Studies


Date:

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DECLARATION

I declare that the thesis is my original work except for quotations and citations which

have been duly acknowledged. I also declare that it has not been previously, and is

not concurrently, submitted for any other degree at Universiti Putra Malaysia or at

any other institution.

____________________________

YEOH CHUI YEN

Date: 23 September 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ii

ABSTRAK v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii

APPROVAL ix

DECLARATION xi

LIST OF TABLES xv

LIST OF FIGURES xvi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xviii

CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Overview of Palm Oil By-production in Malaysia 1

1.2 Composting and the Roles in Palm Oil Mill Waste Treatment 3

1.3 The Problems and Suggested Solutions in EFB Composting 4

1.4 Objective 7

1.5 Scope of This Thesis 8

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 10

2.1 Introduction 11

2.2 Palm Oil Production and the By-products 11

2.2.1 Empty fruit bunches (EFB) 13

2.2.2 Palm oil mill effluent (POME) 14

2.3 EFB Windrow Composting System 16

2.4 Fundamentals of Composting 19

2.4.1 Biological transformation 21

2.4.2 Chemical transformation 22

2.5 Parameters for Composting Research 24

2.5.1 Particle size of substrate material 24

2.5.2 Heap size 25

2.5.3 Turning frequency 26

2.5.4 Temperature 28

2.5.5 Moisture content 30

2.5.6 pH and electrical conductivity 31

2.5.7 Carbon-nitrogen ratio 32

2.5.8 Humification ratio 34

2.5.9 Germination test 35

2.5.10 Microbes enumeration and identification 36

2.5.11 Aggregation of parameters 38

2.6 Previous EFB Composting Studies 39

2.7 Inoculums for Composting 44

2.8 Compost Sampling 48

2.9 Summary 49

3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 50

3.1 Introduction 50

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3.2 Materials and Equipments 51

3.2.1 Substrates and systems for three composting trials 51

3.2.2 Commercial inoculum 54

3.2.3 Laboratory inoculums 54

3.3 Composting and Sampling Procedure 55

3.3.1 Pilot scale test on comparing the effect of

urea and different concentrations of commercial

inoculum 55

3.3.2 Pilot scale test on comparing the effect of

commercial and laboratory inoculums, and

turning frequencies in inoculated composting 58

3.3.3 Laboratory test on comparing the effect of

laboratory inoculum in different EFB particle size 60

3.4 Analytical Methods 62

3.4.1 Moisture content and temperature 63


3.4.3 Carbon and nitrogen analyses 64



3.4.6 Microbes plate count or enumeration 67

3.4.7 Microbes identification 67

3.4.8 Statistical analysis 69

3.5 Summary 69

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 70

4.1 Introduction 70

4.2 Pilot Scale Test on Comparing the Effects of Urea and

Different Concentration of Commercial Inoculum 71

4.2.1 Temperature and turning effect 71


4.2.3 pH 73


4.2.5 Microbes enumeration 77

4.2.6 Observation 80

4.3 Pilot Scale Test on Comparing the Effects of Commercial and

Laboratory Inoculums, and Turning Frequency in Inoculated

Composting 80

4.3.1 Temperature 81


4.3.3 pH 85

4.3.4 Carbon- nitrogen ratio 87



4.4 Laboratory Scale Test on the Effect of Laboratory Inoculum

in Different EFB Particle Size 92

4.4.1 Temperature evolution 94





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4.4.9 Microbes population in final composts 109

4.5 Comparison of Composting Trials Parameter 111

4.6 Summary 114

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 115

5.1 Introduction 115

5.2 The Progress for This Thesis 115

5.3 Recommendation for Future Research 118

REFERENCES 120

APPENDIX A. Experiment data from trial 1 128

APPENDIX B. Experiment data from trial 2 131

APPENDIX C. Experiment data from trial 3 135

BIODATA OF STUDENT 139

PUBLICATION 140

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